Erin/Karen Epic. Chapter 5.
Chapter 5: Wanting Me Tonight.
The question had clearly taken Karen off-guard and she flushed a rich red before muttering a soft “Nothing”. Erin didn’t believe that for a second but she didn’t say a word. Karen remained pink as she finished her own ice-cream and Erin watched her quietly, waiting for her to crack… nothing happened and Erin looked away finally, wondering if she could get herself to say it.
“Well, I guess I’ll clear up then.” She gathered the empty bowls and made her escape to the kitchen, putting the bowls into the dishwasher as she fought to regain control of her trembling hands. She’d not felt like this for years, why now and why with Karen? She was sure she would ruin their friendship if she spoke, she hadn’t noticed that Karen had entered the kitchen behind her and gave a guilty start as someone’s hand brushed her back.
“Erin…”
Erin turned then, looking directly into Karen’s eyes, almost melting despite herself. She clenched her jaw tightly before she spoke. “What?” It was clear she was terrified to share the truth and she sighed softly at the hurt look in Karen’s eyes, instantly hating herself for doing what she had. “Karen…”
“Erin… I…”
“No… Karen… Don’t…”
“I…”
“Shh…” Erin sighed, stepping closer to her friend, stroking a hair from Karen’s eyes with hands that trembled slightly, timid but determined at the same time, dipping her head slightly to press a soft kiss to Karen’s lips. “Don’t…”
Karen had fought down a surge of eagerness to press back softly. “Erin…” The word came out huskily, a lot more husky than usual. “Why are you so afraid of this?” She had pulled back to look into Erin’s eyes, taking both of Erin’s hands and squeezing them lightly. “You know I would never hurt you…” The sound of wounded pride in Karen’s voice was brittle and clear.
“I know…” Erin had spoken softly now, willing herself to speak calmly despite the longing to just take Karen then and there. “I just… Every time I…”
“Erin, look at me…” Karen tilted Erin’s face back to look at her, gently stroking hair from her face, tracing a bruised cheekbone softly. “I’m not afraid of you… you can’t hurt me any more than Conrad did… really.”
“Karen…” Erin had said the name again, pain and longing clear in her voice before she kissed Karen again, letting her love pour into the kiss, keeping it light but passionate and urgent. “My Karen…” Her arms came around Karen now, one in Karen’s hair, the other resting lightly on her hip.
Karen sighed softly, not speaking as she kissed Erin again, forcefully. “I would never push you further than you want to go…”
“I know.” Erin whispered softly, stroking Karen’s back lightly. “Come on, let’s get to bed… we can figure this thing out tomorrow…” She was smiling as she spoke, clearly happy to have her friend so close, she very much wanted more from Karen but she wasn’t ready to ask just yet, she’d wait at least another day.
The question had clearly taken Karen off-guard and she flushed a rich red before muttering a soft “Nothing”. Erin didn’t believe that for a second but she didn’t say a word. Karen remained pink as she finished her own ice-cream and Erin watched her quietly, waiting for her to crack… nothing happened and Erin looked away finally, wondering if she could get herself to say it.
“Well, I guess I’ll clear up then.” She gathered the empty bowls and made her escape to the kitchen, putting the bowls into the dishwasher as she fought to regain control of her trembling hands. She’d not felt like this for years, why now and why with Karen? She was sure she would ruin their friendship if she spoke, she hadn’t noticed that Karen had entered the kitchen behind her and gave a guilty start as someone’s hand brushed her back.
“Erin…”
Erin turned then, looking directly into Karen’s eyes, almost melting despite herself. She clenched her jaw tightly before she spoke. “What?” It was clear she was terrified to share the truth and she sighed softly at the hurt look in Karen’s eyes, instantly hating herself for doing what she had. “Karen…”
“Erin… I…”
“No… Karen… Don’t…”
“I…”
“Shh…” Erin sighed, stepping closer to her friend, stroking a hair from Karen’s eyes with hands that trembled slightly, timid but determined at the same time, dipping her head slightly to press a soft kiss to Karen’s lips. “Don’t…”
Karen had fought down a surge of eagerness to press back softly. “Erin…” The word came out huskily, a lot more husky than usual. “Why are you so afraid of this?” She had pulled back to look into Erin’s eyes, taking both of Erin’s hands and squeezing them lightly. “You know I would never hurt you…” The sound of wounded pride in Karen’s voice was brittle and clear.
“I know…” Erin had spoken softly now, willing herself to speak calmly despite the longing to just take Karen then and there. “I just… Every time I…”
“Erin, look at me…” Karen tilted Erin’s face back to look at her, gently stroking hair from her face, tracing a bruised cheekbone softly. “I’m not afraid of you… you can’t hurt me any more than Conrad did… really.”
“Karen…” Erin had said the name again, pain and longing clear in her voice before she kissed Karen again, letting her love pour into the kiss, keeping it light but passionate and urgent. “My Karen…” Her arms came around Karen now, one in Karen’s hair, the other resting lightly on her hip.
Karen sighed softly, not speaking as she kissed Erin again, forcefully. “I would never push you further than you want to go…”
“I know.” Erin whispered softly, stroking Karen’s back lightly. “Come on, let’s get to bed… we can figure this thing out tomorrow…” She was smiling as she spoke, clearly happy to have her friend so close, she very much wanted more from Karen but she wasn’t ready to ask just yet, she’d wait at least another day.